Idea stealing”- does it affect scientific innovation and creativity?

Interesting blog!

I'm guessing 99% of researchers and innovators are UNLIKE Dr. Bressler in the film 'Unknown' (consider yourself warned... extreme movie spoiler follows) http://www.moviepooper.com/9/4406unknown.html

I think it's human nature to want recognition for scientific innovation be that in the form of money or job promotion. However, ARE we a product of our environment?? Would researchers even come up with innovations and discoveries if not for the environment in which they find themselves performing the research? To be awarded a design or utility patent, the innovation must be novel and nonobvious. It begs the question for me.. Are ideas being stolen or are they being *hatched* so to speak? Employers, universities, and our federal government believe the latter which is why you sign the rights away to your ideas discovered on-the-job as a condition of your employment.

The Bayh-Dole act is alive and well. The Bayh-Dole Act allows for the transfer of exclusive control over many government funded inventions to universities and businesses operating with federal contracts for the purpose of further development and commercialization. The contracting universities and businesses are then permitted to exclusively license the inventions to other parties. The federal government, however, retains "March-in" rights to license the invention to a third party, without the consent of the patent holder or original licensee, where it determines the invention is not being made available to the public on a reasonable basis, (in other words, to issue a compulsory license.) from cptech.org

Renee Kaswan, I think her name is, developed Restasis for dry eye syndrome. A perfect example of a student innovator being ripped off (at least initially). Looks like she eventually won her battle: http://tradesecretstoday.blogspot.com/2010/04/dr-renee-kaswan-settles-dispute-with.html University and larger businessses are so greedy! Many student innovators and employees of large corporations have had their brains drained and have received nada, nothing, zip, zilch for their efforts. Once bitten twice shy? So yes, if the incentive or motivation or recognition for efforts is denied, more than likely scientific innovation will wane. This is what needs to change. My .02